Chia Delights!

Chia - a gem of a seed!

Chia provides so much versatility and nutrition in such a tiny package.  Chia works well  ground or whole. Unlike flax seeds, you don’t need to grind the seed to absorb the nutrients. High in omega 3 fatty acids, more calcium than milk, plenty of fiber, potassium, iron, magnesium, and protein – chia is a nutrient dense choice.  Like flax, the seeds  have a gelatinous quality when soaked in water. In fact, chia absorbs 10 times its weight in water… which is good news for staying hydrated in summer heat.

Summertime and iced tea naturally go together. Whether you prefer "sun-tea," "moon-tea," or traditionally steeped tea, a glass of cold tea is a welcome gift on a hot day. My favorite choice for a decaffeinated chilled drink is Celestial Seasoning’s Blueberry Zinger. Great flavor with a little zing!

You can also buy prepared, fruity chia drinks- but it's much cheaper and more fun to make your own!

 



Plus, if you make your own you get to control the ingredients; the second ingredient in Mama Chia drinks is agave. You can add chia seeds to any favorite drink (1 tbsp chia seeds to 8 oz of liquid) and that works well for thicker liquids like smoothies or juice with pulp. But I’ve found over time that using chia gel works particularly well in thin liquids. Chia gel creates that "store bought" consistency.  Check out the first ingredient in Mama Chia drinks - it’s hydrated chia seeds - that’s essentially chia gel!  When you add chia gel to a thin liquid the seeds stay suspended throughout the drink instead of sinking to the bottom.  The important thing to sort out is the ratio of gel to liquid. You can also do simple tricks like making your chia gel with brewed tea instead of water and adding “tea” ice cubes for flavor that won't get diluted. Follow the recipe below and you will be “sipping pretty” all summer long!

Chia Iced Tea

Step 1: Prepare your tea

For fuller flavor use 2-3 bags per 8 oz of water. Allow tea to steep up to an hour - or even over night!

Make double the amount of tea if you plan to use it for your gel and ice cubes. I usually prepare about 6-8 cups of strongly brewed tea at a time.

Step 2: Chia Gel

1/3 cup chia seeds

2 cups tea (or water, if you prefer)

I have found it works best to measure the tea/water in your jar and then add the seeds slowly, whisking as you go. Allow gel to sit for 10 minutes - then shake or whisk again. Let sit another 10 minutes - shake or whisk again. Done!

Step 3: Chia Iced Tea

1 cup tea

1 - 1½ cups chia gel

Stir gently. Add lemon or lime juice to taste.

*Optional: For additional flavor you can add ½ cup of unsweetened pure blueberry juice to your tea - just be sure to add it before you measure out the tea and gel.

To keep it 100% raw- add ½ cup blueberry puree. This is easy to prepare with frozen blueberries. Just let them defrost, blend until smooth with an immersion blender, and add to your tea.

Enjoy!

**Be sure to check out new class offerings**

A Nod to Spring

First, welcome to my new blog!   (Thanks to Katie and Kenny!)

A special  thanks to all who attended the Cooking-for-Peace workshop on April 28^th at  The Patapsco Friends Meeting. Together we raised $1200 to support The Samaritan Women!  Your generosity and positive energy were deeply appreciated.

Here's a peek at the class... and the yummy desserts we sampled at the end.

 

Ah, the blessings of Spring are upon us!  A perfect time for planting new seeds and creating new plans.    Although, sometimes change creeps up on us unannounced... regardless of the season!

And that’s where the topic of salad dressings comes in.  Salad dressing can make or break a salad. In the last few months I’ve been experimenting with oil-free dressings using a base of seeds or nuts. To be clear, I’m not talking about “fat-free” dressings, just pressed/processed oil-free dressings.  We need some healthy fat to absorb the nutrients in our greens and veggies.

But, let me back up a bit… my typical dressing for a long time was simple: good quality olive oil, raw apple cider vinegar , one teaspoon of sweetener (one soaked date, coconut sugar, etc.) a pinch of sea salt. Simple ingredients for a simple dressing.

Then I started reading and learning about the advantages of getting your fat in the most whole form possible by blending the nut or seed as opposed to using a pressed/processed oil. Less processing gives you the advantage of the whole package; including the fiber and nutrients that might otherwise be lost. Read more about this in Joel Fuhrman's fabulous book:

This bit of info inspired  me to experiment with recipes and techniques for making simple nut/seed dressings.   How food tastes to us can change over time. It can be a subtle shift or a dramatic one. Maybe your favorite cookies suddenly taste too sweet, or the crackers you once loved now taste too salty.

Last night I was in a hurry. I figured I’d just whip up a quick vinaigrette with my old standbys: olive oil, raw apple cider vinegar, and raw coconut sugar. (I like that sweet-n-sour thing!) We chopped our dinner salads, I added the dressing, and then... I just could not eat it!  The dressing tasted like an "oil-slick" . Same dressing I always ate-- but my palate had shifted.  Happily, I had some sprouted lentil/ mung bean miso soup (no oil in there!) and that became dinner!

Every day we train our bodies and minds to desire certain tastes, just by constant exposure. In general,  I think it is easier to abstain from a food you are trying to shift away from before you introduce a replacement. A few months from now your taste buds will forget all about that favorite  food and be delighted with its new understudy! I’ve had this experience numerous times: shifting from dairy  to vegan milk, from dairy cheese to vegan cheese, from gluten-full breads to gluten-free and then to raw gluten-free breads! So, if you are trying to release foods that aren’t serving you, don’t give up hope! We are constantly changing… including our taste buds!

And now-  here's a celebratory salad!

A Nod-to-Spring Salad:

6-8 dandelion leaves

1 cup baby spinach, torn into bite size pieces

4 asparagus spears

½ cup chopped parsley

½ medium golden beet, juilliened

1 medium carrot, cut diagonally

1-2 spring onions, chopped

10-12 wild violet flowers (you can add in some leaves too!)

1-2 purple Easter Egg radishes, cut in thin slices

-Tear greens into bite size pieces. Mix dandelion and spinach well. Dandelion can be bitter (which makes for a happy liver!)

-Using a carrot peeler, peel asparagus into pretty curls. This usually works for about half the spear… chop the remaining half and add to the salad.

-Chop remaining veggies, paying attention to color and shape. Top the salad with wild violets.

Dressing:

 ¼ cup raw sunflower seed butter

2-4 tbsp. lemon juice (to taste)

1-2 tsp coconut nectar (or your favorite sweetener- optional)

½ cup filtered water

1 tsp gluten free nama shoyu/tamari or coconut aminos

(Add your favorite herbs as desired. I choose mint and lemon balm!)

Enjoy, and don't forget to check out the "upcoming classes" tab for the latest info on opportunities to learn more!